Get Away
by MeGkAtHeRiNe
Summary: No one is mentally capable of handling an abusive relationship. Especially if love gets in the way of your judgement. You can only hope someone's willing to save you.
1. Chapter 1

Emily closed her eyes as she felt her breath leave her body. She could hear the front door open and then slam shut not a second later, those familiar footsteps heavy as they made their way along the wooden floored foyer. Her eyes peeled themselves open as she gripped the rag tighter in her hand, her fingers scraping at the countertop she had been trying to clean.

"Emily?"

The brunette spun around, a smile on her face when her boyfriend appeared in the kitchen's doorway. "Nigel. How was work, sweetheart?" She quickly walked over to the table before pulling out his favorite seat, letting him sit down and sip at his brandy that already sat on the table.

The older man let out a grunt before shaking his head. "Same as always. I do what they need me to and tell me to, and someone else then just feels as if they have to go on and take all the credit." He sipped at his drink and watched as his girlfriend sat in her seat across from him. "I mean what tosser would think of doing that?"

Emily shook her head, her eyes softening on the Englishman before her. "I'm sorry, honey. I know what that feels like."

"Yeah well, it's over." He grinned to the beautiful woman that sat across from him. "Is it wrong I called him a bloody cock-up?"

Emily let out a laugh as she bit her bottom lip. "Not at all, Nigel. You felt what you felt."

Nigel gave a nod before standing from his seat. "So what's for supper, love?"

The younger woman quickly made her way over to the oven and pulled open the door, her eyes scanning the food she had put in just a little while ago. "Well I made a chicken, but I don't think it'll be ready for at least another hour."

"An hour?"

Emily felt her heart beat begin to quicken in her chest, and she nodded her head after closing the oven door. She turned around as slow as she could, her eyes looking into the hard ones of her boyfriend. "Nigel, I didn't know what time you would be home."

The older man let out a snort. "That's your excuse?"

Emily let her eyes widen slightly as Nigel backed her into the corner the counter and wall created near the entrance of the kitchen. She felt his breath on her cheek, trying to turn her head away from the older man's scorching eyes. "I have no good excuse, Nigel. I'm sorry."

Nigel's large hand quickly made its way to his girlfriend's slender neck, his fingers curling around it as fast and as hard as they could. "You look at me when you speak!"

The brunette whimpered when Nigel's body pushed itself into hers. "I'm sorry."

"You should know by now, eh?"

"Yes Nigel, I should."

Nigel gave a grin when he heard the slightly shake in the younger woman's voice. "Just 'cause you're a toff, you think you can go around lollygagging and playing with your blimey little friends?"

Emily felt her eyes sting as Nigel's hand tightened around her throat. "No I don't. I'm really sor-"

"Enough!" He watched as the younger woman's chin trembled slightly, and he brought his free hand up to her cheek and let his fingers trail along her ivory skin. "Why don't you go upstairs, love? An hour gives us plenty of time."

Emily shook her head, standing as straight as she could with her boyfriend's hands still around her. "I really should stay down here to make sure everything is-"

"Everything is what, Em?"

She looked up and let her dark eyes look into the iced ones of the older man, his gaze dropping from hers and making its way along her upper body that was only covered in a tank top and her favorite blue sweater. She shook her head, her breath coming back and eyes fluttering closed when Nigel took his hand from her neck. "Nevermind." Her eyes met his once again, and she cursed herself for immediately faltering under his gaze. "I'll go upstairs."

Nigel let out a smile before patting the younger woman on her cheek, pulling her body towards his and pressing his lips against hers. He felt her stiffen under her touch, and he took her chin between his fingers. "We'll have a wicked time, love."


	2. Chapter 2

The brunette tugged at the collar of her halter top, trying to bring it high enough to cover the small bruise her boyfriend had left on her neck. The night before, just when she thought he had finished and had enough, he took the heated lighter from their bedside table and lit it up just against her pale skin.

Emily gave a sigh, letting go of her shirt collar before grabbing her blazer that lay on her bed and slipped it onto her body. Her eyes quickly scanned the room before they found her jewelry over on top of her little vanity dresser that sat near the bathroom door.

"Emily?"

The brunette spun around in her spot, her eyes landing on the young boy that stood in the doorway. "Anniston!" She let the eight year old run into her arms, and set softly set a kiss to his dark hair. "When did you get home, sweetie?"

The young boy shrugged, wriggling his way out of Emily's arms. "Dad got me from Mark's!"

Emily smiled to her boyfriend's son, watching his blue eyes look up to her. "Well school starts in about a half an hour, right?" She watched him nod. "So you go and get your books and I'll drive you. Sound good?"

Anniston nodded before he ran from the room.

Emily quickly made her way over to the vanity, picking up her favorite necklace and placing it on her neck. It was a nice turquoise which gave a nice little pop to her all black outfit.

Nigel slipped into the bedroom, watching as his girlfriend ran her fingers through her curly hair. "Em?"

The brunette felt her heart stop, her fingers pausing in her hair. She turned around, her eyes stopping on the older man that stood just inside the doorway. "Good morning, Nigel." She smiled as her fingertips tugged at the hem of her shirt. "Do you need me to make you a quick breakfast before I leave?"

The older man shook his head, making his way to the beautiful brunette that stood in the corner near their bathroom door. He smiled when her dark eyes hit his. "You look beautiful, baby."

Emily's eyes slowly fluttered closed as her boyfriend's lips touched hers. She felt his hands grip her waist and it took all she had to pull away, a smile on her face. "Thank you for the compliment, but," she pointed to her watch, "I'm gonna be late for work if I don't leave now." She watched as his eyes darkened, and she quickly shook her head. "But I promise you that tonight I'll put Anniston to bed and we'll have an amazing time. Ok?"

Nigel rolled his eyes, giving a slow nod of the head before placing a kiss to Emily's forehead. "I don't have work, so I'll be here." He watched as his girlfriend smiled his way, hearing his stomach growl. "Have a banger, maybe?"

Emily let out a sigh before kissing the tip of the older man's nose, and passing him to exit the bedroom. "Just say sausage."

"Not the same, love!"

She smiled when she found Anniston waiting in the living room, and she gave him a nod before she slipped her bag onto her shoulder. "Ready?"

The young boy nodded, following his father's girlfriend out the front door and into her car.

Not three minutes down the road, Emily placed her ringing phone to her ear. "Hello?"

Anniston's eyes widened. "That's illegal!"

Emily felt herself smile. "Then don't tell anybody, baby." She turned her attention back to the phone, her left hand tightening its grasp on the wheel. "Hello?...Hi Ms. Manuel…Oh, alright. Well thank you for calling me…Will do. Have a nice day."

Anniston held his backpack in his lap, looking into the rearview mirror to see Emily's eyes. "Who was it?"

"That was your teacher, Ms. Manuel. She called to tell me that you don't have school today."

The young boy's eyes sparkled. "Really?"

Emily gave a laugh as they turned onto the highway. "Seems that there was a gas leak in the building, and because of that they need to get everything cleared out and make sure everything is ok before the kids go back." She smiled into the rearview mirror. "You don't have school for about four days, bud."

"Yes!"

Emily licked her lip, nodding absently before pressing her foot harder on the accelerator. "Since it's a little too late to go back home and drop you off, would you mind coming with me to work?"

Anniston felt his heart beat faster in his chest. "Like where they have the guns and stuff?"

"You are to see no guns, and you ask to see none. Got it?" She watched him nod into the rearview mirror, and she smiled when they pulled onto the street that lead to headquarters. "You can sit around with my friends though while I do some paperwork. Is that ok?"

He quickly nodded his head again. "Can we have lunch?"

Emily licked the corner of her mouth, pulling into her parking space and slipping the keys out of the ignition. "We sure can, baby. Just me and you. Sound good?" She didn't wait for an answer as she hopped out of the car, opening the door so her boyfriend's son could slip out as well. She helped him sling his backpack on just before she grabbed her purse from the front seat. "You ready to go?"

"Yup!"

Emily gripped his hand and walked over to the entrance door, letting him pull it open so they could walk in.

"Hey Princess!"

Both dark heads turned, and Emily immediately smiled to the younger man that made his way to her. "Morning to you too, Derek."

Anniston looked up to the brunette beside him, tugging on her hand. "He called you Princess!"

Emily smiled down to the boy by her side. "Yes he did."

"Can I tell daddy?"

Her doe eyes immediately darkened, and Emily shook her head. "No, you may not tell daddy." She looked back up to her friend and smiled. "Why are you in so early?"

"Came in to finish the Riley report that I didn't hand in last night." Derek nodded to the young boy by his friend's side, watching as he tried to hide himself behind the brunette's leg. "Who's this?"

Emily gave a grin when she felt Anniston's grip on her hand tightened. "This is Nigel's son, Anniston."

Derek kneeled down to the boy's level, smiling when he saw his icy eyes look his way. "Nice to meet you, bud. I'm Derek."

Anniston nodded, biting his lip just like his father's girlfriend had done millions of times. "Hi."

The darker man stood back up and looked to his friend. "Nigel is your boyfriend, right?"

"Right."

His eyes quickly made their way to the brunette's ivory neck, noticing the small red mark that lay beneath her chunky necklace. "Emily what is that?"

Emily felt her face immediately flush, and she shook her head with a smile on her face. "What is what?"

"You have a burn on your neck, Emily." His voice lowered, his hand tightening around his coffee cup before he gestured to the mark he spoke about. "Who did that to you?"

Emily let her hand rise to cover her neck, her other hand tightening around the young boy's that hung lazily near her hip. "It's not a burn, Derek." She averted her eyes from Derek's, tugging on Anniston's hand and leading him towards the elevators. She pressed the 'up' button, sighing when she felt her friend's presence behind her. "It's just a hickey that I got from Nigel, alright?" She looked up to him with her dark eyes. "I'm ok."

Derek stepped into the elevator just after his friend, his finger going up to touch the mark on her neck.

Emily's eyes widened as she yanked away, her hand covering the burn on her neck once again when she felt pain radiate through her neck, face and chest. "Derek Morgan!"

Anniston looked up to the woman beside him. "Emily?"

The brunette shook her head, smiling down to the boy with tears in her eyes. "I'm fine, sweetheart." She looked back up to her friend. "Why did you do that?"

Derek scowled towards his brunette friend, holding up his finger for her to see. "You see this, Emily? This is pus." He felt his stomach churn when he followed the woman out of the elevator. "Why is there a burn on your neck, Emily."

Emily stopped just outside the glass entrance doors, her watering eyes pleading to her friend. "Derek please just leave it alone, ok?"

"Emil-"

"Please."


	3. Chapter 3

Anniston kept his feet tucked beneath him as he sat with his legs crisscrossed in his father's girlfriend's office chair, his fingers gripping the desk every three seconds so he could continue to spin around and around. Little dots began to flood his vision as the chair spun faster and faster, and his hands quickly held onto Emily's desk.

The brunette looked down to the young child and shook her head, her fingers threading through his dark hair. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Anniston slowly nodded his head, blinking his dark eyes before looking up to the older woman. "I got dizzy."

Emily let out a chuckle before passing the young boy her water bottle. "Drink some of that and you wont feel as dizzy, ok?" After watching the boy she considered her son take a sip from the bottle, she opened up the case file she held in her hands and began to read.

"Em?"

The brunette looked up to see her coworker staring at her from his office chair. "What's up, Derek?"

Derek quickly gathered a couple objects from his desk before standing from his chair, walking over to his friend and smiling. "I got you some things."

Emily's eyes widened before she set her file down onto her desk. "What do you mean you got me things?" She looked down into her friend's hands, her eyebrow arching. "Bandaids?"

"Well Neosporin and a bandaid, yeah." He set the supplies onto the brunette's desk, smiling down to little Anniston who continued to drink from his water bottle. "I don't want your burn to get infected, and I didn't know if you had treated it yet."

Emily let her eyes soften on her younger friend, nodding slowly as she felt Anniston begin to poke at her hand that lay on her desk. "You didn't have to do that for me, Derek."

Derek smiled before taking the brunette into his arms, feeling her immediately cuddle into his chest. "Of course I did, Em." He laid a kiss to her hair, feeling the eyes of the boy in her chair staring at him. He quickly bent down and opened his friend's bottom drawer, taking out an ear swab from a plastic bag.

Emily looked to her friend, her eyebrows rising to her hair line. "How did you know I had q-tips?"

"Em, everyone knows you hide those. 'Cause you have that weird phobia, right?"

Reid looked up from his desk with a grin on his face. "It isn't as much as a phobia but more of a state of paranoia. She's afraid that something might become lodged in one of her ear canals, and so she keeps q-tips with her here and in her purse."

Emily felt her cheeks blush before she shook her head, glaring towards her younger colleague. "I do not have paranoia."

Derek shook his head, tilting the brunette's head and moving her hair out of the way before putting on the Neosporin. "You kind of do, Em. When the entire team had to share that hotel room, you slept with your bedspread over your head when you were on your back, or over one of your ears when you were on your side."

The older woman tried to stick her tongue out as her friend put the bandage on her neck. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Emmy?"

Emily smiled down to the small child in her chair as she felt her friend's fingers make sure her bandage was in place. "What's up, baby?"

Anniston looked up to Emily with confusion in his eyes. "What's paranoba?"

The brunette chuckled as she sat herself on the flimsy arm of the chair. "Paranoia, Anniston. Paranoia is when you have a fear of something that you think is there."

"It's more like a delusion, Emily."

Emily took a moment to glare at the young doctor across from her. "I'm not delusional, Spencer."

"Bu-"

"Spencer Reid!"

The ringing of her office phone broke the small amount of tension between the group, and Emily quickly grabbed for her phone. "Emily Prentiss."

_"Emily!"_

Emily's dark eyes quickly widened, her lips quivering as she tried to put on a smile. "Hi darling, how are you?"

_"I need you home."_

"But Nigel, I'm at wor-"

_"I. Need. You. Home."_

Emily felt herself gulp, Derek's strong hand curling around her shoulder. "Ok, I'm ju-"

_"NOW!"_

The brunette let out a shaky sigh before setting the phone back in its place, putting on a strong smile as she turned to her friend. "Can you tell Hotch that I needed to get home? I'll probably be back after lunch."

Derek watched as his friend quickly shouldered her bag, taking Anniston's hand in hers before he jumped from the chair. "Em?"

Emily shook her head, making her way towards the glass doors that led to the elevators before looking over her shoulder. "I promise I'll be back, ok? Just tell him I had an emergency I needed to deal with."

Anniston looked up to the woman beside him. "Are we gonna go have lunch with dad?"

Emily looked down to the young boy by her side, ignoring the stinging of her eyes as she nodded her head. "We're gonna go have some lunch with your dad."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- My cousin let me use his laptop! Yay! It's short, I know. But it's the best I can do for right now. Please enjoy!**

**...**

Emily's fingers shook as she opened the door to her and Nigel's apartment, letting the young boy that she loved dearly run in before her. She quickly set her briefcase and purse down just after she locked the door, leaving them by the coat closet before she made her way into the living room.

Nigel looked up from the young boy in his lap, grinning wickedly as he watched his girlfriend slowly make her way over to the couch. "Why don't you run upstairs, bud? Your Emmy and I have some things to discuss."

Emily felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up before she nodded her head, smiling softly to Anniston so he knew that it was ok.

After watching te small brunette make his way up the stairs and into his room, Nigel stood from his spot on the couch. He pointed a finger to the floor, watching as the younger woman before him stiffened. "Assume the position."

"But Nigel, I-"

"NOW!"

Emily quickly nodded her head, feeling tears well in her eyes as she knelt in front of her boyfriend. She bowed her head, as she always did, before she felt her boyfriend's fingers tuck themselves under her chin. Her big brown eyes looked up into his, her hands rubbing up and down her thighs. "What can I do for you today?"

The older man itched his index finger just under the tip of her chin, much like an owner would do to a small pet. "Tell me where you got that bandage."

Emily let her teeth nibble into her bottom lip, her worried gaze staying connected with his, just as she was trained to do. "The burn was stinging and hurting me, so I decided to clean it and put a bandage over it so it didn't get more infected than it already was." She lifted her eyes just a little highed, watching as he trained his eyes on her neck. "Is that alright?"

"What do you think, Emily?"

The younger brunette gave a slow shake of the head, tilting her head to the side when she felt the bandage being peeled off of her neck. Just when she felt the fresh air hit the wound on her neck, her mouth gaped and her eyes stung at the feel of Nigel's palm connecting with it. She let out the smallest of whimpers, turning her head back so her watering eyes looked back up into the older man's.

Nigel smiled down to the woman before him, watching as she tried not to grit her teeth. "Get upstairs, darling."

Emily took every inch of pride and confidence she had left in her body as she gave a slow shake of her head, a tiny sob escaping her throat as she removed her eyes from his. "Nigel, I really need to get back t work."

"Excuse me?"

Emily held up her hand, steadying herself as she tried to stand on her two shaky legs. "I cannot do this right now. I need to get back to work."

Nigel grabbed the younger woman by the neck, feeling her fresh burn just under his pinkie as he pulled her body to his. "Are you talking back to me?"

"No Nigel, I jus-"

"You 'just' nothing!"

Emily nodded slowly, trying her best not to let out a scream when she felt her boyfriend's nail dig into the wound on her neck. "Ok, alright. I understand."

The older man shook his head. "No, I don't think you do."

Emily gave a strangled cry when the man's hand came up and slapped her hard across the face. She struggled with him all she could before she found herself lying on her back on the couch, his tense body just above hers. "Nigel, please get off."

"I don't think so, love. So sorry."

The brunette cried when she felt the older man's hand snake its way beneath her panties. "Please Nigel, please. You can do what you want to me tonight, I don't care. But if I'm not back at work soon then the boss is gonna have my head, and I'll be forced to stay late at work for a really long time." Before he could shake his head, Emily opened her mouth again. "Listen to me, Nigel. Let me take Anniston with me back to work before my team comes charging in here. They're very protective, and they'll come here. You know they will."

"No."

Emily's eyes widened. "Bu-"

Nigel shook his head, laying his hand over the brunette's quivering lips as he pressed hard against her clit. "I said no."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – I just want to apologize for the last chapter lol only because I had to keep rewriting it since it would keep getting deleted due to bad internet connection, and the first version was so much better. But here we go with this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it, and please leave a review. Gracias!**

**...**

Emily let out a shaky breath as she stood up from the couch and listened as her bedroom door slammed closed. She let her tears fall freely as she hastily buttoned up her shirt, wiping the snot from her nose and the tears from her cheeks before rushing over to the staircase. She picked up and shouldered her purse after setting three hard knocks to the right side of the closet door that sat at the side of the staircase, signaling the young boy upstairs to come on down.

She quickly slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed a very familar number, taking the young and confused boy by the hand before rushing out of the apartment.

_"Agent Hotchner."_

Emily let out one of the biggest smiles as she felt new tears escape from under her lashes. "Hotch it's me, Emily."

_"Derek said that you'd be back soon, Emily. Where did you have to run off to?"_

The brunette shook her head as she quickly hopped into the drivers seat of her car, watching as Anniston buckled his seatbelt before she pulled out of her parking lot. "I had something to deal with at home, but I'm coming back now. Can I talk to you when I get back there?"

_"What's wrong Emily?"_

"I just really need to talk to you."

_"Can't you do it now?"_

Emily gave a sigh as she stopped at a light, her fingers restlessly tapping against the black leather of the steeringwheel. "I'm in the car with Anniston, and I would prefer to not have this discussion with him listening in."

Anniston's big eyes looked to the older woman driving the car. "I don't eavesdrop!"

Emily tried for a laugh as she watched the light change back to green. "I know you don't sweetheart. That's not what I meant."

_"Emily, are you almost back to work?"_

"Yeah, I'm about ten minutes away."

_"Alright, I'll be waiting in my office. You can come up after dropping Anniston off with Garcia or Morgan."_

The brunette gave a scoff as she laid eyes on headquarters only a quarter mile away. "Yeah, because I'd leave a young and impressionable child with Derek Morgan."

There was a laugh on the other end of the phone. _"Good point. I'll see you soon."_

"Bye Hotch."

Emily quickly shoved her phone into the side pocket of her purse before pulling up to the FBI entrance lot. She easily made her way to her parking spot before jumping out of her seat, pulling Anniston along with her after slamming her door shut.

"Emmy?"

Emily looked down to the young boy beside her as they stepped into the elevator. "What is it, baby?"

Anniston tugged on the older woman's hand and waited until she was eye level with him. He let his small fingers point to the red marks on her neck and cheek and watch as Emily's eyes saddened. "What happened?"

The brunette let out a tiny smile to comfort the young boy, shaking her head before setting a kiss to his forehead. "Nothing happened, sweetie. I'm absolutely fine, and everything is going to stay fine. Alright?"

The young boy's eyes widened before he shook his head.

"Anniston you listen to me." She tilted his chin up so he looked her in the eyes. "I am fine. Nothing happened, and nothing will happen. If I was hurt, then I would tell you. Ok?"

Anniston nodded his head. "You're not hurt?"

Emily smiled as he wiped a tear from her cheek. "I'm not hurt, baby."

"It doesn't look like everything's peachy keen here, Emily."

Both Emily and Anniston looked up only to be met with the dark eyes of her Unit Cheif. Emily stood from her spot beside Anniston and squeezed his hand, doing everything she could to give Hotch a smile. "Hey Hotch."

Hotch gave a nod of the head before leading the two out of the elevator, his strong hand on the small of Emily's back. "We need to talk."


	6. Chapter 6

Emily quietly followed her boss up the stairs, leaving Anniston alone with Reid at her desk cubicle so she and Hotch could speak in private.

She gave a silent nod as he held the door open for her, making her way over to one of his visitor chairs as she heard the office door lock behind them. "I'm sorry that I had to leave right away. You can count that as my lunch break for today if you want."

Hotch shook his head, sitting down in the other visitor's chair and facing the younger woman. "Emily we need to talk."

The brunette bit her lip, her eyes averting down to her hands in her lap, listening to Hotch's chair turn itseld around so it faced hers. "I know."

"I need you to tell me about Nigel."

Emily's head immediately popped up, her mouth dropping open as she looked towards the older man. "Why?"

Hotch gave a small tilt of the head, his eyes softening on the brunette before him. He watched as the younger woman's eyes started to dark from each of his eyes, and he gave a shake of the head. "Emily, don't get worked up."

"I'm not worked up!"

Hotch quickly held up his hand, watching as the woman who was ready to jump out of her seat slowly sat back into the cushions. "I just want to ask you some questions, Emily."

Emily felt her eyes start to sting before she gave a soft nod, looking over to the older man. "As my boss or my friend?"

"Always as your friend."

Emily nodded. "Ask away."

Hotch set his elbows onto his knees, his dark eyes studying hers with great intent. "Was Nigel the reason you left earlier?"

The younger woman looked down into her lap, reminding herself that she needed to get this out in the open. "Yes."

"Did he need you for something?"

Another soft nod. "Yes."

Hotch leaned forward, setting his hand softly on the younger woman's knee. "Can you tell me what he needed you for, Emily?"

Emily let a tear fall from her eye, turning Hotch's hand over and trailing her fingers over the older brunette's calloused palm. "No."

"Why not?"

Emily just shook her head, looking up into the older man's eyes before giving a soft quirk of the shoulder. "I can't."

The unit cheif took the younger woman's hand in his. "Emily, you wanted to talk. I need you to tell me whats been going on with you and your boyfriend."

The brunette let out a breath, her tongue swfitly gliding over her bottom lip to wipe away the tears that had fallen there. She slowly took her hand out of his before unclasping her necklace, letting the chain fall into her lap before turning in her chair.

Hotch's eyes widened as he looked at the burn on the younger woman's slender neck. He unconciously moved to the edge of his seat, his fingers going up to softly roam around the wound. "Emily..."

Emily tightly shut her eyes, letting a sob fall from her lips as she felt the older man's fingertips glide over her skin. "You remember that lighter you got me for Christmas last year? The one you got engraved for me."

"Of course."

"...He used it on me after we had sex."

Hotch's gaze darkened as he heard the whispered words come out of the younger woman's mouth. "Emily..."

"I can't do it anymore, Aaron."

The older man nodded his head. "How long has this been going on?"

Emily's lips quivered. "Maybe a month after Nigel and Anniston moved into the apartment."

"This has gone on with Anniston in the house?"

The brunette let out another cry, turning in her chair to face the older man. "I've been trying to get us out of that house, Hotch! But its so hard! I'm not Anniston's mother and I can't just leave him with Nigel. I can't have Anniston's taking the punches for me."


	7. Chapter 7

Nigel looked up from his food when he heard the doorbell ring, his cup almost falling from his hand as he set it down on the table. He gave a grunt before standing from his seat, wiping his palms against the material of his shirt, making his way over to the apartment door and slowly turning the knob. "Can I help you?"

Aaron Hotchner's dark gaze fell on the man before him, the large vein in his neck throbbing slightly at the sight of the younger man. "Nigel McQuillen?"

"Can I help you, sir?"

Hotch's jaw slacked slightly as he made his way past the younger man, passing through the doorway and standing in the foyer of the apartment. "You're Emily Prentiss' boyfriend?"

Nigel looked to the suited man with furrowed brows, quickly shutting the door. "How do you know her?"

"I'm her boss, Aaron Hotchner."

The younger man gave a small laugh before passing the FBI agent, making his way back into the kitchen. "So you're the one she talks about. You a toff?"

Hotch gave a small shake of the head. "Toff?"

"Ya' know, rich person."

The brunette man shook his head once again, standing behind his friend's boyfriend, watching as he picked up his drink from the kitchen table and took a sip. "No sir, I'm not."

Nigel smirked. "Good. Ya' didn't look like it, other than the whistle."

Hotch gave a small sigh, bringing his hand up to rub across his forehead. "Alright, I don't know what that means. Would you mind telling me where Emily's bedroom is?"

Nigel's eyes immediately widened, his head tilting as he set his glass back onto the table. "Why?"

"Please sir, if you could just tell me wh-"

"Tell me why, Agent Hotchner."

Hotch looked towards the younger man with his signature scowl, his body going rigid and his shoulders straightening out. "I'm here to get some of her things, seeing as how she won't be staying here for a while."

Nigel looked to the agent with hard eyes. "Excuse me?"

Hotch slowly spun on his heel, looking towards the staircase and making his way over to it. "Emily and your son Anniston will be staying with me and my son, Jack, for a little while. Due to your accessive violent behavior, it is a danger for them both to be in this apartment."

Nigel felt his blood boil as he watched the older man ascend the staircase, and he quickly made his way behind him, following him down the second floor hall. "What do you mean abusive behavior? I've done nothing of the sort!"

Hotch did his best to ignore the hostile tone that the other man was giving him by making his way down the hall, putting his hand on the doorknob to the first door on his right.

"Hey! That's my son's room."

The brunette agent gave a nod, opening the door and cautiously stepping inside. "I'm here to gather his things, Mr. McQuillen. It would be easier if I could get them from where he keeps his things."

Nigel tightened his jaw. "You are not taking him away from me!"

Hotch gave a glare to the other man as he took a small suitcase from the boy's closet, setting it on the bed and letting it fall open. "Yes Mr. McQuillen, I am." He went over to the small dresser on the other side of the room, opening a could of drawers and gathering clothing in his arms. "And I will be taking your girlfriend away too. If you could even call her that."

"Hey! She is not just my girlfriend, but she's my missus!"

"Explain please?"

Nigel took a small box from his back pocket before opening it, shoving it into the older man's vision. "What does that tell ya', bloke?"

Hotch's eyes darkened on the sparkling diamond ring. "You were going to propose."

"I love her!"

Hotch immediately shook his head, shoving all of Anniston's clothes into the small suitcase. "If you loved her, Mr. McQuillen, you wouldn't abuse her the way you do."

Nigel gave a grim smirk as the older man made his way past him, suitcase in hand as he made his way farther down the hall to the master bedroom. "You don't know anything about love, do you? You're the one who got his wife axed."

The older brunette's stride quickly came to a hault, his free hand immediately clenching at his side at the mention of his ex. "How do you know about Haley?"

"It was in the paper, fellow." He chuckled, watched as the older man slowly turned around to face him. "You were arse over tit for her, just like Emily and I, but you couldn't do anything to save her. But I can. I'm strong, unlike you Agent Hotchner. All you have is your badge."

Hotch was quick to drop Anniston's suitcase and make his way over to the younger man, his stoic facial features growling angrily at Nigel. "I also have a gun that I'm not afraid to use on smart mouth little pussies like you."

Nigel gave a hard push to the anget's chest. "You're not taking my family, Agent Hotchner. I won't have it."

Hotch finally let a smirk cross his lips, taking a folded envelope out of his suit pocket before thrusting it into the younger man's hands. "Oh I think you'll have it."

Nigel opened the envelope, his eyes quickly scanning the letter as Hotch made his way into his and Emily's bedroom. His dark eyes looked up from the paper and quickly stomped his way to his bedroom, glaring towards the older man as he began pulling open drawers. "What the hell is this?"

The agent grimaced slightly as he took a handful of materials from Emily's underwear drawer and quickly threw them into a bag he'd found on the floor, not knowing whether Emily would want him to be touching any of her delicates. "That, Mr. McQuillen, is a restraining order. You are to be no more than one hundred feet from Emily, and no more than one hundred and fifty feet from your son, Anniston."

"You can't do this to me!"

Hotch looked up from the clothing he had stuffed into the bag, quikcly snapping it shut before lifting both bags into his hands. "I already did."

Nigel gave what sounded like a growl as Hotch made his way down the hall, quickling following the older man down the staircase. "I'll be speaking with my lawyer, Agent Hotchner."

"You do that."

...

Emily quickly took her chewed up fingernail from her mouth when she heard the apartment door open, her head whipping around to see her boss comign through the door with bags in his hands. She got up to help him with the bags and to close the door, but she felt herself meekly whimper away when he shook his head. "How did it go? Are you ok? Was he mad?"

Hotch set both bags down before gesturing back to the couch. "Sit back down."

Emily nodded her head, waiting for the older man to sit down beside her. "Was he mad, Hotch?"

The older man looked to his subordinate with soft eyes, taking both of her hands in his and setting them on his knees. "Breathe, Emily. Everything is ok."

"But Hotch I know he was mad! This isn't something that he would take lightly."

Hotch took a strand of Emily's dark hair and softly tucked it behind her ear. "The judge is my friend, Emily. He quickly ruled in your favor and gave me that letter to give to him and one to Nigel's attorney that were restrainings for him to stay as far away as he could do on such short notice."

Emily bit her lip, her eyes stinging slightly as she thought to tiny Anniston who was currently napping with Jack in his room. "I feel like I'm taking his child away from him, Hotch. But I'm not his mother. I have no rights to him."

Hotch cupped the brunette's cheek in the palm of his hand. "Emily, we're going to find a way to keep him away from Nigel. You're protecting him from an abusive father, and that's an amazing thing to do. You are an amazing woman."

Emily's tongue gently swiped over her bottom lip, her eyes glancing over towards the bags that her boss had set down by the door. "You got our clothes?"

"Only some of them, but yeah."

The brunette looked up to the older man. "You didn't have to do that, Hotch."

Hotch gave a shrug. "You couldn't just live in my clothes for all the time you're staying here, could you?"

Emily's dark eyes gave a glimmer of happiness as she let out a laugh. "No I guess not."

"They're folded too. I didn't want them to wrinkle."

Emily gave a pleased smile as her fingers tightened around the older man's. "When did you get the time to do that?"

Hotch shook his head slightly as an embarrassed blush crept onto his cheeks. "I stopped at the gas station down the street from here and parked near the little market there. It only took a couple minutes to go through everything that I got for you two."

The brunette bit her lip, doing her best not to laugh at the older man's actions. "You took time out to fold Anniston and I's clothing? At the gas station?"

"Yeah. I got a couple looks."

Emily let out a giggle before bringing her hand up to her boss' cheek, her fingers softly tracing the stubble that was beginning to line his cheek. "Well it was sweet. Thank you."

Hotch smiled down to the younger woman, his eyes pleasantly widening when she took him into a hug. "You're welcome, Emily."


	8. Chapter 8

"Emily bit her lip, sitting gently on her boss' bed in just a t-shirt and boyshorts as she waited for him to return. He had told her that he wouldn't have her sleeping on the couch, and she didn't want to take his bed from him. So they decided to share. The brunette was anxious, afraid that the older man would have maybe picked up something from her boyfriend and make a move on her.

A bad move.

The brunette looked up when she heard the door open, and she gave the smallest of smiles when he nodded her way. "Hey."

"Hi."

Emily's eyebrows furrowed as her boss sat beside her on the bed, her eyes catching the camera that sat in his hand. "Why do you need that?"

Hotch let out a small sigh before looking into the younger woman's chocolate eyes. "We both want Anniston to not go back to a violent household, and you want to keep him. But I need proof that it is a violent household." He laid his hand over the brunette's, giving a small shake of the head as she watched her's tilt to the side. "I need to take pictures of your injuries."

Emily's eyes immediately widened with realization, and she gave a short nod of the head. "Oh." She gave the slightest of smiles, rubbing her thumb over the back of the older man's hand. "Ok. I get it."

Hotch took his hand from the brunette's and used his fingers to turn her head to the side. "Tilt your head for me?" He watched a gently tilted her head to the side, and he quickly turned on the flash before snapping a picture of her burned neck. He bit his lip.

Here came the hard part.

"Emily?"

The younger brunette turned her head back to her friend. "Yeah?"

"Do you have any other injuries?"

Emily's dark eyes saddened, her gaze flickering from the older man's and down to her lap. "Do you really need all of them?"

The older man watched as his friend's eyes filled with tears. "Emily, I'm sorry."

Emily shook her head, sucking her plump lips between her teeth. "No, I get it. If it helps m and Anniston, then its fine." Her fingers played with the hem of her t-shirt. "Um, well they're kind of all over."

Hotch closed his eyes, his jaw clenching as he did his best to stay calm. "All over?"

"Yeah." She sounded so small; like a child.

Hotch stood from the bed, setting down the camera before taking the younger woman's hands in his. "Come on, Em." He helped her stand from the edge of the bed, cupping her cheek and raising her head so she was forced to look up to him. "Tell me where they are."

Emily heard herself give out an involuntary cry, shaking her head to get out of the older man's grip.

"Emily, please tell me." He cupped her cheeks in the palms of her hands, his face not an inch from hers as he looked sincerely into hers watering eyes. "I need to know, Emily. Please."

Emily's eyes slowly made their way up to her friend's her shaking hands coming up to rest over his. She took in a small breath before shaking her head, her voice nothing but a whisper. "They're everywhere, Aaron."

Hotch's voice husked as he felt his heart break for the brunette. "Everywhere?"

The younger woman bit down on her quivering bottom lip. "Yeah." She let herself sniffle, her tears starting to cascade gracefully down her pale face. "Are you mad at me?"

Hotch's eyes hardened on the young, delicate figure that broke apart before him, and he tightened his grip on her. "Emily, I could never be mad at you for something like this. Ever." He made sure she was looking up to him before he spoke again. "This is not your fault."

Emily shook her head. "Bu-"

"But nothing. This is Nigel's fault. Nigel chose to do this to you; to harm you in a way I would never think possible." He wiped his thumb across her cheek, brushing away a tear in the process. "But no matter what happened, he can never take away your strength. Your soul." He felt his own tears begin to shed. "Your beauty."

Emily felt herself break right there; in the arms of the older man that had protected her and her heart for years.

Hotch pressed a comforting kiss to his friend's forehead before reluctantly pulling away, his hands dropping to hold hers. "Are you ready?"

The younger woman blinked the tears away before giving a slow nod of the head. She sadly dropped her friend's hands before wiping the tear tracks on her cheeks. "Are the boys asleep?"

"All tucked in in Jack's bed."

Emily bit her lip, taking a deep breath before slowly pulling her t-shirt over her head and dropping it to the floor.

Hotch grit his teeth as anger swept over him, the dark marks finally appearing for the first time to his eyes. They lay over almost all of the brunette woman's beautiful ivory skin, and slowly made their way through the younger woman's soul and disappearing into those beautiful doe eyes.

Emily let out a shaky sigh, gesturing to the older man before her. "You can start. I'm ok."

The older man's eyes saddened as he took almost thirty pictures of Emily's delicate body, his fingers softly pushing away the strap of her bra to get the whole view of one of her biggest marks. Once he was finished, he set the camera down on the nightstand before turning back around, watching as the brunette's body immediately began to shake. "Oh Emily..."

The brunette felt the cold take over her before rushing into friend's arms, letting him hold onto her as tight as he could. She sobbed into the crook of his neck, letting his warmth melt into her. "Aaron?"

Hotch placed a small kiss to the younger woman's dark hair. "What is it, Em?"

"Will you hold me?"

The older man laid them both in his bed, letting the comforter sit beneath their bodies as her warming skin press against the material of his shirt. He kissed softly down the brunette's cheek, feeling her breath even out as she began to drift off. "Anything for you, Emily. Anything."

Emily's eyes lazily shut, the saltiness of her tears settling into her lips as she found comfort in the older man's arms. "Thank you, Aaron." She pressed a kiss to his neck, clearing all the thoughts of abuse from her mind as she gently drifted to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

~The brunette bride peeked up through her laced vail to look up to her beaming husband to be. The love in his eyes told her that they would be together forever, through sickness and in health and until death do they part. She smiled as the older man placed the golden band on her finger, his hands grasping hers.

"Emily, after all the years I've known you, I can't deny the feelings that have blossomed. Your beauty never ceases to amaze me, and that heart of yours...that big, pure, loving heart of yours. I can't tell you how grateful I am and how lucky I am to have that heart of yours be with me for the rest of our years. I love the way you're able to pick me up with a few simple words. I love your laugh, your smile, your big brown eyes. I love the way you make my son happy, and that makes me happy." The older man smiled, lifting his bride's vail and wiping a tear from her cheek. "I just love you."

The younger woman gave a watery smile, taking both of the groom's hands back in hers and slipping the matching gold band onto his finger. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this day; the day where I would stand up here and declare my love for you and your son in front of all of our family and friends. I'm so lucky to have a man as strong and brave and caring as you in my life." She bit her lip as more tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "I wouldn't give you up for anything in the world. I love you."

The preacher smiled at the couple before him. "Now please repeat after me. I Aaron take thee Emily."

Aaron Hotchner smiled wide. "I Aaron take thee Emily."

"To have and to hold."

"To have and to hold."

"Through sickness and in health, until death do you part."

Aaron felt his heart skip a beat when the brunette before him bit her lip, her eyes on him."Through sickness and in health, until death do I part."

The preacher grasped the bible in his hand just a little tighter, signing the cross before the couple. "Do you Aaron Stanely Hotchner vow to love and protect this woman until the day you die?"

"I do."

Emily bit her lip, beginning to repeat the same words the older man had said. "I Emily take thee Aaron."

"To have and to hold."

"To have and to hold."

"In sickness and in health until death do you part?"

Emily gently nodded her head, blushing as the heat of the groom's gaze washed over her. "In sickness and in health until death do I part."

The priest's smile widened, his eyes darkening as, this time, he signed the cross backwards. "Do you Emily Shaina Prentiss vow to love this man and protect him until the day you die?"

The brunette couple kept their eyes on one another, oblivious to the turning voice of the priest beside them.

Emily tightened her hold on the older man's hands, smiling up to him with a dazzling smile. "I d-"

"No. No you don't."

Emily frowned at the accent that floated through her ears, turning to face the priest at the alter. Her eyes widened when she saw her boyfriend's face in place of the man's who was administering her wedding, and her body began to shake. "Nigel..."

The englishman grinned to the bride-the soon to be Mrs. Aaron Hotchner. "Hello love."

The brunette bride's heart stopped at the sight of the bible that had shaped into a gun. "What are you doing?"

"What I've wanted to do for a long time."

Emily cried out as she was roughly pulled back against her boyfriend, her back against his chest and his arm wrapped around her breasts. Her eyes stung with tears at the feel of the gun pushing up from beneath her chin, and she sent a terror filled glance to her almost husband.

He was doing nothing.

"Aaron! Do something Aaron, please! Help me!"

The older man shook his head, looking to his almost wife not a foot away from him with sorrowed eyes. "I can't. I'm sorry."

Emily sobbed in the arms of the englishman, doing her best to fight against him as the gun safety was clicked off. "No!"~

"No!"

Emily shot up from the bed, sweat pouring down her face and sneaking its way down the valley of her breasts. Her dark eyes shot around, her hands reaching up to feel beneath her chin. The brunette let out a relieved sob.

No bullet hole.

Emily's head spun at the sound of the home phone ringing and she quickly picked up, her heart still racing as she placed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello love."

The brunette woman cried at the accent on the other end of the phone. She felt her boss beside her sit up in the bed, his arm wrapping around her shaking shoulders. "Nigel. What do you want?"

Nigel felt himself laugh. "Darling, I want you and my son back but obviously that can't happen. Just know that I will not let you take Anniston from me. Watch out, love. I'll be coming."

Emily's shaking hand dropped the phone to the bed, her tear stained face hiding itself in the older man's neck. "I never got to say 'I do', Aaron. I never got the chance to be your wife." 


	10. Chapter 10

Hotch straightened the gray tie that Emily had picked out for him, his stoic face staring straight into the mirror. Emily and young Anniston had been staying with him and Jack for two and a half weeks, and the small makeshift family had set up a pretty stable schedule. His sister-in-law would come by and home school the boys while he was at work, not wanting them to be out with the threat of Nigel.

Emily had barely wanted to leave the house. She would wake up in the morning, shower and get dressed, then end up having coffee for breakfast and sitting on the couch. She would watch the boys as they played on the living room floor, silently waiting for Hotch to come out all ready and dressed for work. She'd stand when he appeared at the end of the hallway and let him press a kiss to her cheek before picking up his briefcase from the couch. He would ask what the younger woman was going to do that day, and all she would do was gesture to the young boys on the floor before giving him a tight hug goodbye, asking him to please not get hurt that day.

He knew she needed him to stay for her.

The brunette pair had slept together in Hotch's bed every night that Emily had spent there, Emily's head laying on the older man's chest with his arms firm around her midsection; supporting each other. Protecting each other.

Hotch smoothed his hands down the lapels of his suit jacket before making his way out of the bedroom, walking down the hall and into the busy living room. The BAU agent smiled at the sight of Emily sitting on the floor with both boys and laughing at the way they were playing with their toys. Her curled midnight hair was laying loosely past her shoulders, her hand gently caressing the blood red dress that sit over her almost fully recovered body.

She looked beautiful.

Emily looked up from the children before her and smiled at the sight of the older man standing only a few feet away. She quickly got up from her spot on the carpet and made her way over to him, biting her lip when she noticed the way he was looking down to her with such a powerful stare. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"I slept fine." He laid a hand on her shoulder as he bent his head to press a kiss to her cheek, his lips resting dangerously close to her mouth. "You look beautiful this morning."

Emily let out a nervous laugh, her body shaking with delight at the feel of the older man's mouth so close to hers. "Well thanks. I actually put a little effort into the outfit this morning. I got a little tired of looking like a depressed mess."

Hotch gave a shake of the head. "You could never look like a mess."

The younger brunette felt herself blush, and she gently smiled up to the man who was helping her through it all. "Thank you."

The agent smiled, leading the beautiful woman over to the couch and sat her down. "So, I had an idea."

Emily's eyebrows furrowed, letting the older man wrap his arm around her slender body. "About?"

"About what we should do today."

Emily gave a tiny shake of the head. "What do you mean? You have work."

Hotch shook his head, leaning in and pressing a kiss to the brunette woman's temple. "Not today. Today is a family day."

The younger woman felt a surprised smile spread over her face at the words that left the agent's mouth. "A family day?"

"That's right."

"Well what are we going to do?" She bit nervously into her bottom lip, shifting in the older man's arms to get a better look into his eyes. "If its ok, I really don't want to leave the house."

Hotch gently shook his head, removing his arm from around the younger woman and taking her hands in his. "Don't worry, I know. We're staying in. Watching movies and playing games." He smiled warmly down to the beautiful, broken woman. "I think we all need to get our minds off some things, you know?"

Emily felt tears begin to sting in her eyes as she found herself smiling up to the older man, her head nodding enthusiatically. "That sounds wonderful." She quickly jumped up from the couch. "I saw Monopoly in the closet."

"Perfect."

The brunette woman smiled wide before rushing down the small hallway and into the bedroom she shared with the handsome man who resided there. She immediately went to open the closet door when she heard the phone begin to ring. "I got it, Aaron!"

"Ok Em."

She set the piece of plastic to her ear, opening the closet door with her free hand. "Hello?"

"You look beautiful today, love."

Emily's body instantly froze at the accent on the other end of the phone, the first smile she had worn in days falling from her face. Her hand tightened around the gray device, her teeth grinding hard against one another. "What do you want from me? Just leave me alone! Leave me alone!"

Hotch made his body run as fast as it could into his bedroom, his eyes widening at the sight of the brunette woman rocking herself back and forth on the carpet floor, the phone thrown far across the room. He quickly sat down beside her on the floor, taking her shaking body into his arms. "Emily calm down, ok? I need you to breathe."

The brunette sobbed in the arms of the older man, her breathing growing shallower with each trembling breath she took. "He won't ever leave me alone, Aaron! Please, just make him leave me alone."

The couple jumped at the sound of the front door being slammed against the living room wall, and Emily's reddening eyes widened at a familiar scream that rang through the air. "Anniston!"


End file.
